If You're Thinking of Living in/Little Silver; Life on a Peninsula Near Sandy Hook

By ABBY GOODNOUGH

Published: October 17, 1993

A CENTURY ago, when Little Silver was just sprawling fields and saltwater marshes, the people who lived there were farmers and oystermen. A nursery encompassed half the town's land, growing a wide variety of plants from raspberries to long-stemmed roses, and shellfish were plentiful in the Shrewsbury River.

These days, the river's oyster beds are depleted and backyard gardens are the only reminder of the once-extensive farmland. But the serene, verdant setting remains and people move, or stay, there to rear their children in a quiet, comfortable environment.

Little Silver was settled in 1667 by Joseph and Peter Parker, who named their property for their father's Portsmouth, R.I., estate. Forty miles south of New York and five miles from the ocean, it sits on a scenic peninsula between the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers. Next to it are Rumson and Fair Haven, among New Jersey's most expensive places to live.

Although Rumson is the most exclusive of the Monmouth County peninsula towns, Little Silver is not far behind. Housing prices range from $180,000 for small ranches near the business district to $1 million for estates on the river, with the average house costing about $250,000. Most waterfront properties start at $500,000.

"It's a major investment to buy a home here," said Mary L. Coffenberg, president of Little Silver Realty. "But people who move to Little Silver when they are young tend to stay their whole lives."

Historic homes, including 19th-century farmhouses, are scattered throughout the community. Many are on or near Seven Bridges Road, which stretches from one end of town to the other and crosses the Shrewsbury River and several streams. Houses along Seven Bridges Road, ranging from contemporary ranches to old, rambling estates, are among the most costly in the borough.

MANY of the more affordable homes, near the business district, are part of a development called Sunnycrest, which was built in the 50's and 60's. Most houses in this tree-lined neighborhood are Cape Cods, with some scattered ranches and colonials, on small parcels of about 100 by 100 feet.

"This is a wonderful, old-fashioned community," said David Levine, who moved to Little Silver last year with his wife, Jennifer. Mr. Levine, who owns a hair salon in nearby Red Bank, said that they had also considered Fair Haven and Rumson but that Little Silver suited their needs best.

"The school system is fantastic, the train to New York comes right through town and the location is very convenient," Mr. Levine said. "We love everything about it."

LITTLE SILVER has no apartment buildings (zoning rules forbid them) and only three condominium complexes,where two-bedroom units sell for an average of $169,650. One condominium complex, Cheshire Square, is open only to people older than 55. The newest development, Alderbrooke Townhome Estates at Sickles Farm, is still under construction. Forty of its 169 units have been completed and sold.

Most people who buy homes in Little Silver are young couples who come from other regions of New Jersey, Ms. Coffenberg said. Although 15 percent of residents are elderly, it is becoming difficult for older people to afford homes there.

"Little Silver isn't the place to retire to," said Mayor Anthony T. Bruno, a lifelong resident. "It's hard enough for young people to afford it, and for most senior citizens it isn't an option."

The central business district is largely confined to about two blocks along Prospect Avenue and one block of Church Street, but it has much to offer, including an A & P supermarket and two large drugstores. There are several restaurants, including Kissui, a Japanese sushi bar, and Il Gusto d'Europa, with European cuisine. Commuters frequent Giovanni's, an Italian grocery near the train station that sells fresh bread, pasta and other homemade foods.

Many people move to Little Silver instead of Rumson or Fair Haven, Ms. Coffenberg said, because it has its own train station, more middle-range housing and open areas for recreation, including playing fields. About 800 residents commute to New York on N.J. Transit trains and others take buses that make several stops in town.

Mr. Bruno said that Little Silver's public schools were superior to most others in central New Jersey. There are two elementary schools -- Point Road School for k-4 and Markham Place School for grades 5-8. Pupils start learning French or Spanish in sixth grade and both schools have computer laboratories. There are about 21 children to a class, and a total of 678 pupils at the two schools.

Older students attend Red Bank Regional High School with residents of Shrewsbury and Red Bank. The high school, on a grassy 53-acre tract, offers advanced placement courses in 10 subjects. About 75 percent of its students go on to college, and the average SAT scores are 437 in verbal and 476 in math, slightly above the state averages.

In addition to its regular curriculum, the high school has a performing arts program that offers instruction in art, creative writing, drama, piano, commercial art and vocal music. Students must apply for the program at auditions held each December.

A total of 22 districts send students to the program and a $730-a-month tuition for full-day programs is charged for children outside Little Silver's district, in most cases paid for by the outside districts. There is no charge for children within the district.

The borough's 5,700 residents voted overwhelmingly in a February referendum against raising $9 million in taxes for construction projects at both elementary schools. In a second referendum in May voters approved spending $3.5 million on improvements. Heating and lighting systems will be upgraded, and small additions will be built at each school by next fall.

"OUR schools are our greatest asset," Mr. Bruno said. "The community got the message that this was an important issue, and they accepted the second proposal very quickly."

Little Silver's schools might be expanding, but businesses are not -- there is simply no room. The town is almost 100 percent developed, with only a few vacant lots left.

"We have as much business as we can tolerate," Mr. Bruno said. "The downtown traffic is at a maximum and we're already pushing our boundaries."

Residents don't seem to mind that development is coming to a halt; in fact, they help slow it down. In the last few years they have voted against several project proposals that might have increased traffic, including one for an ice-skating rink.

One attraction that does bring traffic to town is Sickles Farm, where fruits, vegetables and flowers are grown and sold from March to November. The seven-acre farm was part of the original tract settled in 1667. In 1989, Sickles Farm sold 12 acres to the borough to build a public park. Scheduled to open next year, the park will have soccer and baseball fields, picnic areas and jogging trails.

Unlike many neighboring towns, Little Silver does not have any beaches. But there are several public recreation facilities, including two sets of municipal tennis courts, a nature trail and two municipal boat launches on the Shrewsbury River.

Residents can also take advantage of the seven-mile strip of public beaches on Sandy Hook, which is only 10 minutes away by car. Several private beach clubs in nearby Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach offer summer memberships, which are often shared by several families, for about $5,000.

Photos: People move or stay in Little Silver to enjoy a quiet, comfortable environment. Here children walk home from school on Little Silver Point Road. Unlike nearby Rumson or Fair Haven, Little Silver has a train station. (Photographs by Eddie Hausner for The New York Times); On the Market -- Cape Cod at 123 Riverview Avenue priced at $179,000. Four-bedroom colonial at 142 Lippincott Road priced at $324,900. Riverfront estate, 646 Little Silver Point Road, priced at $865,000. Chart: "GAZETTEER" POPULATION: 5,721 (1990 census). AREA: 2.8 square miles. MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $64,281 (1990 census). MEDIAN PRICE OF ONE-FAMILY HOUSE: $203,000 TAX ON MEDIAN-PRICED HOUSE: $4,033. MEDIAN PRICE OF TWO-BEDROOM CONDOMINIUM: $163,000. PUBLIC-SCHOOL EXPENDITURE PER PUPIL: $7,100. DISTANCE FROM MIDTOWN MANHATTAN: 40 miles. RUSH-HOUR COMMUTATION TO MIDTOWN: 70 minutes on N.J. Transit train, $8.90 one way, $13 round trip, $249 monthly pass; an hour by Academy bus, $6.35 one way, $51.30 10 trips. GOVERNMENT: Mayor (Anthony T. Bruno, Republican) elected to four-year term, six Borough Council members elected to three-year terms. CODES: Area, 908; ZIP, 07739. TRAIN WRECK: In 1882 a train carrying President Ulysses S. Grant to his summer home in Long Branch derailed on a bridge in Little Silver and plunged into a muddy ditch. Still wearing a silk top hat and puffing a cigar, Grant climbed out a window and directed rescue work for hours. Map of Little Silver.